Issues with NPC Targeting

[Hrosskell]

Hi there! I've been doing a little bit of group fighting lately, and it seems like there is a bug atm. At the time of noticing it, I realized that my group member always took aggression--I could still rescue, but it seemed to have no affect. Variables included me attacking first, second, and multiple rescue attempts. In the middle of all of this, the lunging bug popped up twice.

[Tarven]

It would be helpful if you could state which mobs/area(s) this was occurring in, for testers.

[Hrosskell]

An idea on how to reproduce this, maybe, and some clarification:
Have two PCs grouped versus an NPC who can paralyze (ghast/ghoul, vampire in Tempus temple that bashes). Have one of them become paralyzed. When the CC wears off, have them enter a room with an aggressive NPC (durable enough for rescue to be practiced).The paralyzed person, after the effect wears off, will not be targeted by the aggressive NPC on entering a room, and their rescue attempts should go through without them actually rescuing.

This happened again tonight in UM, and fixed itself upon re-logging. The only thing that I can see in common is crowd control--it happened when I got bashed by a vampire in Tombs of Tempus, and again after being ghoul touched.

[Hrosskell]

Bah, that theory is out the window. I noticed again after a short time of adventuring that my group-mate was taking focus again. Relogging fixed it again. Not sure what is causing this at this point.

[Hrosskell]

Further investigations lead me to believe the source of the bug is a rescue round being interrupted by the end of a fight; for example

PC A attempts to rescue PC B. PC B kills target before PC A's rescue goes through. From then on, PC A has permanent aggro, regardless of further initiations or rescue attempts. Not sure if this is something that can be remedied and reproducing it is hard enough.

[Hrosskell]

Alright, so, I've been tracking this for a while now. I can't remember what exactly I've reported and what I haven't, but I'll go ahead and outline the issue again in detail and a couple of possible causes.

1. When adventuring in a group after an uncertain number of fights, mobiles will begin to prefer one target.

2. How this target is selected seems determined by a number of things, including but not limited to: crowd control applied to or by the focus target; unfinished actions against groups of enemies by the focus target; possibly targets dying after the focus target made an initiative roll (i.e. Player A kills Mobile A before Player B goes in a round, Player B becomes focus target).

3. Whatever effect makes them prefer the target typically breaks their ability to auto-engage. At this point in time it seems they will often auto-engage their focus target, but not always.

4. Whatever effect breaks their ability to auto-engage seems to trigger a separate bug, referred to as Lylena as "the lunging bug"--where a target repetitively "joins combat!" against nearby PCs.

5. Whatever effect causes them to prefer a target denies other nearby PCs rounds, seemingly at random.

As of 10/19/2012, this bug is still very active. It makes planning and performing quests/adventures ridiculously difficult to organize, complete, and enjoy unless you are able to blaze through them without a care in the world. The only current (temporary) fix is to log in and out, which requires the "normal pulse." Haven't seen any update or investigation on it, and wanted to keep awareness up. Sorry if I'm clogging up the board!

[Hrosskell]

Been a while since I've updated this, but there are new symptoms of this bug that I know I haven't reported. Witnessed several cases of this odd behavior that implies these mobs aren't being treated as separate creatures:
A drow invader walks in from the south.
A drow invader exclaims 'Alas, we meet agbin!'
You rescue Ashbel!
You sense that your patron approves of your actions.
Followed by Ash retaining the aggro of the mob in question (and all others, for that matter).

We don't fight to stun, so if this drow (who is normally aggressive) had crossed paths with us, he'd be dead.

This issue continues to be a major obstacle to training, questing, grinding, etc. in groups--and has shown up multiple times with more characters and in other locales (Kaden, Vant, and Lamorak experienced it in Crasgmere, and I've seen it with Kaden and others in Hartsvale as well).

[Hrosskell]

So I was going to fight some drow to blow off steam tonight when the rescue bug reared its ugly head; I've reported a lot on it, I've died to it, but I've never lost anything permanent to it.. until tonight. I hate to ask for special treatment, but with how I've documented this bug and the following log, I think it should be clear that my mount shouldn't be dead. I really love this guy, and he's Cahir's best friend, and I'm totally wrecked by the experience.

The rescue successes are highlighted in bold. They didn't work, period. He shouldn't have even been targetted, but he was because I had some odd no-aggro state on me and it blew it. After he died and they initiated on me, they started spazzing out--another symptom of this bug.

I included his desc and coloring at the end, just in case you guys decide to take pity on me.

For thorough info on the bug's behaviors, please reference my post in this forum on targeting.

Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff is here mounted by you.
The drow invader spots you and attacks.
A drow invader begins to chant.
The drow invader spots you and attacks.
A drow invader begins to chant.
You hear the sound of footsteps from the east.
You approach a drow invader and prepare to engage him in combat!
With a sickening sound your slash violently shreds a drow invader's abdomen.
a drow invader has a few small cuts.
A drow invader gets distracted and stops chanting.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff joins the battle!
A drow invader joins the battle!
A drow invader utters the words, 'yazfuz yutoral'.
A pale glow surrounds you as a drow invader completes his spell.
You score a critical hit!
Your slash lacerates a drow invader's chest.
a drow invader has several minor wounds.
Your slash lacerates a drow invader's abdomen.
a drow invader is covered in cuts and bruises.
With a sickening sound your slash violently shreds a drow invader's chest.
a drow invader is badly injured.
Your slash tears a gaping wound into a drow invader's left arm.
a drow invader is bleeding from several injuries.
A drow invader walks in from the east.
A drow invader walks in from the east.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff ducks under a drow invader's slashing attack.
A drow invader joins the battle!
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff ducks under a drow invader's slashing attack.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff ducks under a drow invader's slashing attack.
A drow invader joins the battle!
A drow invader's slash viciously slashes Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's left leg.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff ducks under a drow invader's slashing attack.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's bite deeply penetrates a drow invader's chest.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff ducks under a drow invader's slashing attack.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's claw deeply penetrates a drow invader's abdomen.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's claw penetrates a drow invader's chest.
Your slash tears a gaping wound into a drow invader's head.
a drow invader has several traumatic wounds.
Your slash tears a gaping wound into a drow invader's left arm.
a drow invader has blood gushing from several grievous wounds.
You score a critical hit!
Your slash tears a gaping wound into a drow invader's abdomen.
a drow invader is leaking heart-blood.
Your slash lacerates a drow invader's abdomen.
a drow invader has suffered mortal injury.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff ducks under a drow invader's slashing attack.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff ducks under a drow invader's slashing attack.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff ducks under a drow invader's slashing attack.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff ducks under a drow invader's slashing attack.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff ducks under a drow invader's slashing attack.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff ducks under a drow invader's slashing attack.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff ducks under a drow invader's slashing attack.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff sidesteps a drow invader's piercing attack.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff ducks under a drow invader's slashing attack.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff sidesteps a drow invader's piercing attack.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's bite drills in to a drow invader's head.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's bite drills in to a drow invader's abdomen.
A drow invader's guts spill all over the ground.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff sidesteps a drow invader's piercing attack.
A drow invader narrowly avoids Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's claw.
You score a critical hit!
Your slash nearly bisects a drow invader's head.
A drow invader is DEAD!
You get a platinum coin from the corpse of a drow invader.
A sharp blacksteel longsword: you can't carry that many items.
You follow through your attack onto another target.
You score a critical hit!
Your slash tears a gaping wound into a drow invader's abdomen.
a drow invader is badly bruised.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff joins the battle!
Ok.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff ducks under a drow invader's slashing attack.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff ducks under a drow invader's slashing attack.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff ducks under a drow invader's slashing attack.
Your slash minces a drow invader's left arm.
a drow invader has several minor wounds.
Your slash tears open a drow invader's abdomen.
a drow invader has a couple of severe gashes.
You score a critical hit!
Your slash nearly bisects a drow invader's right leg.
a drow invader is bleeding from several injuries.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff ducks under a drow invader's slashing attack.
Your slash tears a gaping wound into a drow invader's right arm.
a drow invader is bleeding freely.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff ducks under a drow invader's slashing attack.
Your slash tears a gaping wound into a drow invader's right arm.
a drow invader has several traumatic wounds.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff ducks under a drow invader's slashing attack.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff sidesteps a drow invader's piercing attack.
You prepare to dismount ...
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff ducks under a drow invader's slashing attack.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff ducks under a drow invader's slashing attack.
You dismount Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff.
A drow invader ducks under your slashing attack.
A drow invader's slash lays open Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's chest.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff ducks under a drow invader's slashing attack.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff ducks under a drow invader's slashing attack.
With a sickening sound a drow invader's pierce perforates Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's chest.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff sidesteps a drow invader's piercing attack.
A drow invader's pierce deeply penetrates Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's chest.
With a sickening sound a drow invader's slash shreds Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's chest.
A drow invader's slash lacerates Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's right leg.
Your slash tears a gaping wound into a drow invader's left arm.
a drow invader has several traumatic wounds.
You score a critical hit!
Your slash tears a gaping wound into a drow invader's abdomen.
a drow invader has blood gushing from several grievous wounds.
You score a critical hit!
Your slash nearly bisects a drow invader's left leg.
a drow invader is leaking heart-blood.
With a sickening sound a drow invader's slash shreds Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's wings.
A drow invader ducks under your slashing attack.
With a sickening sound a drow invader's pierce perforates Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's chest.
A drow invader's pierce deeply penetrates Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's chest.
With a sickening sound a drow invader's pierce shreds Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's wings.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff sidesteps a drow invader's piercing attack.
With a sickening sound a drow invader's slash skillfully shreds Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's wings.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff ducks under a drow invader's slashing attack.
You score a critical hit!
Your slash minces a drow invader's abdomen.
A drow invader's guts spill all over the ground.
You score a critical hit!
Your slash nearly bisects a drow invader's left arm.
A drow invader is DEAD!
A platinum coin: you can't carry that many items.
You follow through your attack onto another target.
Your slash tears a gaping wound into a drow invader's left arm.
a drow invader has a few small cuts.
A drow invader begins to chant.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's bite drives deeply in to a drow invader's head.
A drow invader gets distracted and stops chanting.
With a sickening sound a drow invader's pierce perforates Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's chest.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff sidesteps a drow invader's piercing attack.
With a sickening sound a drow invader's pierce shreds Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's chest.
A drow invader's slash tears open Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's left leg.
With a sickening sound a drow invader's slash violently shreds Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's wings.
With a sickening sound a drow invader's pierce perforates Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's chest.
You score a critical hit!
Your slash nearly bisects a drow invader's right leg.
a drow invader is covered in cuts and bruises.
You prepare to rescue tara...
With a sickening sound your slash violently shreds a drow invader's chest.
a drow invader is badly injured.
With a sickening sound your slash violently shreds a drow invader's chest.
a drow invader is bleeding from several injuries.
Your slash minces a drow invader's right leg.
A drow invader's severed right leg falls to the ground!
a drow invader is bleeding freely.
You score a critical hit!
Your slash nearly bisects a drow invader's left leg.
a drow invader has several traumatic wounds.
A drow invader begins to chant.
A drow invader utters the words, 'zawsufuq hajqp'.
A drow invader's touch drains the life essence from Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff!
A drow invader's pierce deeply penetrates Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's chest.
With a sickening sound a drow invader's pierce perforates Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's chest.
With a sickening sound a drow invader's pierce violently shreds Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's right leg.
You rescue Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff!
You sense that your patron approves of your actions.
You prepare to rescue tara...
With a sickening sound a drow invader's slash deftly shreds Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's chest.
A drow invader begins to chant.
A drow invader utters the words, 'zawsufuq hajqp'.
A drow invader's touch drains the life essence from Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff!
You rescue Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff!
You sense that your patron approves of your actions.
A drow invader begins to chant.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's bite deeply penetrates a drow invader's chest.
A drow invader utters the words, 'zawsufuq hajqp'.
A drow invader's touch drains the life essence from Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff!
With a sickening sound a drow invader's pierce violently shreds Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's wings.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff is stunned, but will probably recover.
A drow invader's pierce tears open Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's right leg.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff is DEAD!
You hear Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff's death cry.
Taranis, a brown and red powerful hippogriff stops following you.
With a sickening sound your slash violently shreds a drow invader's chest.
a drow invader is bleeding from several injuries.
A drow invader asks 'What do you want on your sonbstone?'
A drow invader speaks in darkspeak.
A drow invader asks 'What do you want on your tmobutone?'
a drow invader yells 'Your blood is mjne!'
a drow invader yells 'Your blood is mine!'
You score a critical hit!
Your slash lacerates a drow invader's chest.
a drow invader is bleeding freely.
A drow invader asks 'What do you want on your soobstone?'
A drow invader exclaims 'Alas, we meet again!'
a drow invader yells 'Your blood is mine!'
A drow invader exclaims 'Blas, we meet again!'
Your slash tears a gaping wound into a drow invader's right arm.
a drow invader has several traumatic wounds.
A drow invader exclaims 'Alas, we meet again!'
a drow invader yells 'Your blood is mine!'
a drow invader yells 'Your blood is mine!'
a drow invader yells 'Your blood is mine!'
You score a critical hit!
Your slash nearly bisects a drow invader's left leg.
a drow invader has blood gushing from several grievous wounds.
a drow invader yells 'Your blood is mine!'
A drow invader exclaims 'Alas, we meet again!'
a drow invader yells 'Your blood is mine!'
A drow invader asks 'What do you want on your vokbutone?'
Your slash tears a gaping wound into a drow invader's head.
a drow invader is leaking heart-blood.
A drow invader speaks in darkspeak.
A drow invader asks 'What do you want on your tombstone?'
A drow invader speaks in darkspeak.
A drow invader asks 'What do you want on your vomastome?'
A drow invader asks 'What do you want on your vomcstmne?'
A drow invader asks 'What do you want on your tonbstole?'
a drow invader yells 'Your blood is mine!'
a drow invader yells 'Your blood is mine!'
a drow invader yells 'Your blood is mine!'
A drow invader asks 'What do you want on your tokcrtone?'
a drow invader yells 'Your blood is mine!'
a drow invader yells 'Your blood is mine!'
A drow invader asks 'What do you want on your uombstone?'
A drow invader speaks in darkspeak.
A drow invader asks 'What do you want on your vombstonc?'
A drow invader exclaims 'Alas, we meet again!'
a drow invader yells 'Your blood is mine!'
Your slash tears open a drow invader's abdomen.
a drow invader has suffered mortal injury.
a drow invader yells 'Your blood is mine!'
A drow invader asks 'What do you want on your vombttone?'
a drow invader yells 'Your blood is mine!'
a drow invader yells 'Your blood is mine!'
You score a critical hit!
Your slash nearly bisects a drow invader's left arm.
a drow invader is slowly bleeding to death.
a drow invader yells 'Your blpod is mine!'
A drow invader speaks in darkspeak.
A drow invader exclaims 'Alas, we meet again!'
a drow invader yells 'Your blood is oine!'
a drow invader yells 'Your blood is mine!'
Your slash tears a gaping wound into a drow invader's head.
a drow invader yells 'Your blood is mine!'
A drow invader exclaims 'Alas, we meet again!'
a drow invader yells 'Your blood is mine!'
A drow invader speaks in darkspeak.
A drow invader exclaims 'Alas, we meet again!'
With a sickening sound your slash violently shreds a drow invader's chest.
A drow invader is DEAD!
4 gold coins: you can't carry that many items.
someone yells 'I've spotted the enemy!'
You ask 'Okay, so.. my renamed mount just died due to a bug. Is there any way I can rectify this? I hate to ask for special treatment or anything, but this really just kills my already rough night.'
Beshaba answers 'I will answer Cahir's question about: Okay, so.. my renamed mount just died due to a bug. Is there any way I can rectify this? I hate to ask for special treatment or anything, but this really just kills my already rough night.'
Beshaba will answer your question about 'Okay, so.. my renamed mount just died due to a bug. Is there any way I can rectify this? I hate to ask for special treatment or anything, but this really just kills my already rough night.'
A drow invader walks south.

[Mask]

What do you think is a bug?

[Lirith]

See previous reports here: viewtopic.php?f=51&t=15993&p=106771&hil ... ug#p106771

I think the overall problem is that rescuing appears to rescue but the aggressor still targets the rescuee. If rescuee is even a word.

[Hrosskell]

Right. I've done an extensive report of the bug, mused on the possible causes and symptoms, etc. In the end, it results in one target always holding the focus of NPC aggression, no matter the order of initiation or rescues. Thanks for linking, Lirith!

[Harroghty]

I'd like for a Code Council member to look into this with an eye to the number of enemy NPCs and the position of the PCs involved (e.g. flying, mounted, etc.), please.

[Algon]

I have had this happen a few times to me as well, the most recent time was with two rangers training in Maos. Neither were flying or mounted or had any other buffs on them other than maybe barkskin and slink. We both had to quit out and come back in to resolve the problem and there really does not seem to be any logic to when or why it happens.
I will say that out of the couple of times that it happened to me, I noticed that if we rescued right when "So-and-so approaches and prepares to engage you in combat" before the actual fight starts, it seemed you had a greater chance of this problem coming up during the fight. But again, it was not something that happened every time.
Just a little info from the few times it happened to me.

[Raona]

Unfortunately, these sorts of bugs (low-random-chance group bugs) are the very hardest to test, reproduce, and come up with a verified test case for. The tools of the testport don't help much with it.

That said, I'm giving it a try. So far, no luck, but reports of the sort Algon just gave are a big help, provided they are accurate - they set the conditions I try to reproduce. I always try to make the situation come up with the simplest possible scenario, and Algon's data suggests that two PCs, no mounts, should suffice. I have one spamming rescue and the other walking into the presence of aggressive mobs on Maos. Additional reports confirming this is sufficient to cause the bug, or even that you have experienced this as well, are appreciated.

[Althasizor]

It does seem that two PCs is sufficient to reproduce this. On the testport:

Code: Select all

You prepare to rescue sarmax...
A pirate's slash viciously slashes Sarmax's abdomen.
A pirate's slash lays open Sarmax's left arm.
Sarmax's slash lacerates a pirate's abdomen.
You rescue Sarmax!
A pirate's slash viciously slashes Sarmax's left leg.
A pirate's slash viciously slashes Sarmax's head.
With a sickening sound Sarmax's slash violently shreds a pirate's chest.
With a sickening sound your slash violently shreds a pirate's chest.
    a pirate is badly injured.
Your slash lacerates a pirate's right arm.
    a pirate is bleeding from several injuries.
A pirate ducks under your slashing attack.
With a sickening sound a pirate's slash deftly shreds Sarmax's right arm.
Sarmax's slash nearly bisects a pirate's right leg.
You prepare to rescue sarmax...
You rescue Sarmax!
Cavern of the Pirates
 N-Hidden Path     E-Cavern          S-Darkness        W-Cavern         
You are inside a small cavern in the cliffs. Several torches line the walls
and allow you to see four exits to this room: east, west, and south into
other small caverns, and north to leave the cavern.
     The corpse of A pirate is in the last stages of decay. (superb)
( 2) The corpse of A pirate is crawling with vermin. (superb)
a pirate is here, fighting Sarmax.
Sarmax is here, fighting a pirate.
A pirate's slash slashes Sarmax's chest.
Sarmax's slash tears open a pirate's abdomen.

Both PCs guilded fighter, no mounts, no pets, no enchantments or enhancements. Still in testing on this, should be more soon. Though it should be noted, the same conditions also resulted in rescue functioning normally several times before this.

[Hrosskell]

Alth did you notice any round interruption leading up to the malfunction? That was one of my early thoughts on this bug, but couldn't verify because my testing wasn't really testing, but live combat (i.e. it involved another player). I was thinking that it might happen if, for example, PC A tried to rescue PC B and didn't get the rescue off in the round desired due to the mobile dying (NOT a general failure of the skill). If that triggers the bug, then any number of skills could do the same (disarm, bash, spells cast).

As a general note, another side effect of this bug is being flagged as in combat until log off, typically with a specific type of mobile. I noticed when trying to spar someone after an appearance of this bug that neither they or I could initiate until log off cleaned it and it gave a vague message of being in combat. It also follows with the messages "Prepare to die," "Alas we meet again," etc. because those are mob progs that signify recognition of the PC--as if he had fled combat or something like that.

[Nylo]

I'm not sure of the circumstances surrounding my sightings, but I've occasionally had a similar thing happen to me, in that after long sessions of grouping, including me rescuing and being rescued( I don't remember any of them failing to actually rescue when the attempt succeeded, however), I'd go off solo and find that aggro monsters couldn't attack me, and couldn't attack back if I initiated combat. Each time, logging off and then back on fixed the problem.